The use of network based electronic communications and information processing systems for information control and information retrieval has rapidly proliferated in modern business environments. Within a typical enterprise, hundreds of client computer systems and server computer systems are constantly accessed by hundreds, or even thousands, of users for obtaining company information, news, competitive information, training materials, and the like, via one or more company wide LANs (local area networks) or WANs (wide area networks).
As used generally, the term network refers to a system that transmits any combination of voice, video and/or data between users. The network includes the embodying system of connected clients and servers and their associated software (e.g., network operating system in the client and server machines, the cables connecting them and the supporting hardware, such as bridges, routers, switches, etc.).
LANs and WANs are generally differentiated by the geographical area of the users being served. Both are made up of servers, clients, NOS (network operating system) services and supporting hardware. Servers are typically high-speed computer systems that hold programs and data or perform services that are shared by network users (e.g., the clients). The clients (e.g., desktop computer systems, workstations, and the like) are typically used to perform individualized, stand-alone processing and access the network servers as required. The actual communications path hardware is the cable (twisted pair, coax, optical fiber) that interconnects each network adapter. In wireless systems such as WLANs (wireless LANs) and the like, antennas, access point devices, and towers are also part of the network hardware. The overall scheme of multiple individual clients connected to shared servers comprises the well known client server network architecture.
The widespread implementation of networked computer systems poses a significant configuration problem for network managers. Communication and message transfer within client server networks is generally managed by a transport protocol such as, for example, TCP/IP, IPX, or the like. The physical transmission of data is typically performed by the access method (Ethernet, Token Ring, etc.) which is implemented in the network adapters that are plugged into the computer systems. The standardized communications protocols enable the widespread interoperability of communications networks and the widespread exchange of business related information.
New devices being added to a network or being temporarily coupled to the network need to be configured in order to exchange information with and otherwise communicate with other devices on the network. Providing proper configuration between and among various network resources is generally implemented through the use of certain standardized communication protocols. These protocols are designed to provide a degree of security for transmission of information while also ensuring interoperability among the hardware components of different networks. Network managers, and the various users, ensure the hardware components inter-operate correctly.
In some cases, the new device is physically coupled to the network infrastructure and configured to work with standardized wired protocols. Such protocols include wired Ethernet, Apple Talk, IPX, and the like). In other cases, the new device couples to the network wirelessly, using more recent wireless networking protocols. Such wireless protocols include IEEE 802.11, WLAN, IRLAN, Bluetooth, and the like. In both the wired and the wireless cases, once the new device is communicatively coupled to the network, many resources and services of the various devices on the network become available. Such services include, for example, network connected printers, network connected display devices (e.g., overhead LCD displays), storage devices, email servers, and the like.
Newly coupled devices often have a number of choices with respect to selecting an appropriate network connected device from which to obtain service. In some cases, the physical attributes of the network device is inconsequential. Examples include Email servers, storage servers, and the like. In other cases, the physical attributes of the network device is very important to the choice of which such device should be selected for use. The physical attributes of each individual network device can be important to a determination of which of a number of such devices is selected for obtaining the service or function. Examples include selecting the nearest printer, out of a number (e.g., 10 or more) of printers in a company, when attempting to print a file or selecting the correct overhead LCD projector when conducting a briefing in one of several briefing rooms of a campus.
Conventional prior art schemes involve manual intervention, by, for example, the user or an IT manager, in selecting and configuring a new device to access and use the appropriate network device. For example, in many cases, an IT (information technology) manager selects and configures the new device to use the nearest network connected printer, display device, or the like. In other cases, the configuration of the new device is left to the user. The user must interact with and navigate the various network protocols and settings in order to select the appropriate device to configure. In both cases, there is often an intricate configuration process, often involving a number of steps, that must be executed. The user often needs to wait for the IT manager to configure her device before she can use it. This can be especially problematic for mobile computer system equipped for wireless communication. Wireless network enabled computer systems are specifically intended for mobile use, and thus, often encounter new network environments.
Thus what is required is a solution that automatically configures a new device for functioning with a network connected device. What is required is a solution that can automatically select a most appropriate network device, out of a number of such devices, for configuration and use. The required solution should be compatible with the ease of use and mobility characteristics of wireless mobile computer systems. The present invention provides a novel solution to the above requirements.